Method for separating conjunct polymeric byproducts from mixture containing hydrofluoric acid and a sulfone

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising the sequential steps of: 
     (a) separating hydrofluoric acid from said mixture to provide an intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight; 
     (b) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a more dense sulfolane-enriched stream and a less dense conjunct polymer-enriched stream; 
     (c) distilling said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) to provide an overhead stream containing a higher sulfolane concentration than said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) and a bottom stream enriched in conjunct polymers.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of allowed application Ser. No. 07/833,684, filed Feb. 11, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,150.

This application is related by disclosure of similar subject matter to Ser. No. 07/991,918, filed Dec. 17, 1992, Ser. No. 07/991,919, filed Dec. 17, 1992, Ser. No. 07/991,920, filed Dec. 17, 1992, and Ser. No. 07/991,922, filed Dec. 17, 1992, filed on even date herewith now all allowed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the art of catalytic alkylation. More specifically, the invention relates to a liquid alkylation catalyst and an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process. Particularly, the invention provides a liquid alkylation catalyst composition which avoids many of the safety and environmental concerns associated with concentrated hydrofluoric acid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Alkylation is a reaction in which an alkyl group is added to an organic molecule. Thus an isoparaffin can be reacted with an olefin to provide an isoparaffin of higher molecular weight. Industrially, the concept depends on the reaction of a C₂ to C₅ olefin with isobutane in the presence of an acidic catalyst producing a so-called alkylate. This alkylate is a valuable blending component in the manufacture of gasolines due not only to its high octane rating but also to its sensitivity to octane-enhancing additives.

Industrial alkylation processes have historically used concentrated hydrofluoric or sulfuric acid catalysts under relatively low temperature conditions. Acid strength is preferably maintained at 88 to 94 weight percent by the continuous addition of fresh acid and the continuous withdrawal of spent acid. As used herein, the term "concentrated hydrofluoric acid" refers to an essentially anhydrous liquid containing at least about 85 weight percent HF.

Hydrofluoric and sulfuric acid alkylation processes share inherent drawbacks including environmental and safety concerns, acid consumption, and sludge disposal. For a general discussion of sulfuric acid alkylation, see the series of three articles by L. F. Albright et al., "Alkylation of Isobutane with C₄ Olefins", 27 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 381-397, (1988). For a survey of hydrofluoric acid catalyzed alkylation, see 1 Handbook of Petroleum Refining Processes 23-28 (R. A. Meyers, ed., 1986).

Hydrogen fluoride, or hydrofluoric acid (HF) is highly toxic and corrosive. However, it is used as a catalyst in isomerization, condensation, polymerization and hydrolysis reactions. The petroleum industry used anhydrous hydrogen fluoride primarily as a liquid catalyst for alkylation of olefinic hydrocarbons to produce alkylate for increasing the octane number of gasoline. Years of experience in its manufacture and use have shown that HF can be handled safely, provided the hazards are recognized and precautions taken. Though many safety precautions are taken to prevent leaks, massive or catastrophic leaks are feared primarily because the anhydrous acid will fume on escape creating a vapor cloud that can be spread for some distance. Previous workers in this field approached this problem from the standpoint of containing or neutralizing the HF cloud after its release.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,938,935 and 4,985,220 to Audeh and Greco, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,936 to Yan teach various methods for containing and/or neutralizing HF acid clouds following accidental releases.

But it would be particularly desirable to provide an additive which decreases the cloud forming tendency of HF without compromising its activity as an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation catalyst. Solvents and complexing agents for hydrofluoric acid have, in the past, been disclosed for various purposes as noted in the following references.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,615,908 to McCaulay teaches thioether-HF-copper complex compounds and a method for preparing the same. Potential uses for the thioether-HF-copper composition compounds are listed from column 6, line 55 through column 8 at line 3. The method is said to be useful for purifying HF-containing vent gases from an industrial HF alkylation plant. See column 7, lines 10-24.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,546 to Hervert discloses a HF-CO₂ catalyst composition which is said to be useful for alkylation as well as olefin isomerization.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,712 to Torck et al. relates to acid catalysts comprising a Lewis acid, a Bronsted acid, and a sulfone of the formula R--SO₂ --R', where R and R' are each separately a monovalent radical containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms or form together a divalent radical having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,764 to Throckmorton et al. teaches an olefin polymerization catalyst comprising (1) at least one organoaluminum compound, (2) at least one nickel compound selected from the class consisting of nickel salts of carboxylic acids, organic complex compounds of nickel, or nickel tetracarbonyl and (3) at least one hydrogen fluoride complex prepared by complexing hydrogen fluoride with a member of the class consisting of ketones, ethers, esters, alcohols, nitriles, and water.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,025,577 and 4,099,924 to Siskin et al. report the use of alkylation catalyst compositions containing HF, a metal halide, and sulfolane. U.S. patent to Olah relates to an additive formulation which reduces the fuming tendency of HF.

Promoters such as alcohols, thiols, water, ethers, thioethers, sulfonic acids, and carboxylic acids are disclosed in combination with strong Bronsted acids such as HF, fluorosulfonic and trihalomethanesulfonic acids in U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,489 to Parker et al. The promoters are said to modify the activity of the strong Bronsted acids for alkylation.

The preceding references demonstrate the desirability of a liquid Bronsted acid catalyst (such as HF) for isoparaffin-olefin alkylation, as well the utility of liquid Bronsted acids in combination with metal halides, particularly metal fluorides.

In U.S. application Ser. No. 07/719,879, filed Jun. 21, 1991, now abandoned, an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process is disclosed which uses an HF/sulfolane catalyst containing relatively high concentrations of sulfolane, and is incorporated by reference for the details of isoparaffin-olefin alkylation with a sulfolane-enriched HF catalyst. Allowed U.S. application Ser. No. 07/833,684, filed Feb. 11, 1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,150, relates to a method for separating mixtures containing HF, sulfolane, and the conjunct polymeric byproducts of HF-catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation which are commonly referred to as acid soluble oil, or ASO.

Isoparaffin-olefin alkylation processes typically convert at least a portion of the feedstock to conjunct polymeric byproducts, which are more commonly referred to as acid soluble oil or ASO. Adding sulfolane to HF for isoparaffin-olefin alkylation complicates the problem of removing ASO from the system because the typical boiling range of the ASO brackets the boiling point of sulfolane (285° C., 545° F.). Thus sulfolane cannot be readily separated from ASO by distillation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a facile technique for separating sulfolane from the conjunct polymeric byproducts formed in HF/sulfolane-catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation. The method of the invention gravitationally separates a stripped mixture containing sulfolane, ASO, and hydrofluoric acid into (a) a less dense stream containing alkylate and a first ASO fraction; and (b) a more dense stream containing sulfolane and a second ASO fraction. Surprisingly, the gravitational separation step splits the ASO into two fractions and these two fractions are readily separable from their respective liquid phases. The boiling point range of the ASO contained in the more dense phase withdrawn from the gravitational separation step generally falls above that of sulfolane, and this sulfolane/ASO mixture can be separated by vacuum distillation.

The present invention comprises the sequential steps of:

(a) separating hydrofluoric acid from a mixture containing sulfolane, ASO and hydrofluoric acid to provide an intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight;

(b) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a more dense sulfolane-enriched stream and a less dense conjunct polymer-enriched stream; and

(c) distilling said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) to provide an overhead stream containing a higher sulfolane concentration than said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) and a bottom stream enriched in conjunct polymers.

The method finds particular utility in regenerating an HF/sulfolane catalyst used in an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process. The hydrofluoric acid concentration of the mixture is preferably decreased by stripping. Any suitable inert stripping fluid may be employed, including normal paraffins and isoparaffins which can be charged to the stripper tower as a vapor. Isobutane and the vaporized alkylate product formed by reacting isobutane with butene are particularly preferred stripping fluids. Two sequential stripping steps may be used, as the purity of the separated sulfolane/conjunct polymer phases improves as the hydrofluoric acid concentration decreases. If two-stage stripping is used, a second inert stripping fluid such as nitrogen is preferred.

The surprising effects of sequentially stripping hydrofluoric acid from the mixture before gravitational separation become particularly evident as the mixture is stripped to hydrofluoric acid levels of less than about 30 weight percent. Separation improves as the hydrofluoric acid content is decreased, with intermediate stream hydrofluoric acid concentrations preferably falling below 25 percent by weight, more preferably below about 10 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight, and most preferably below about 5 percent by weight.

The conjunct polymeric byproducts of liquid acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation are understood to comprise a complex mixture, but the mechanism underlying the present invention is not well understood. The stripped mixture of the present invention splits the ASO between two substantially immiscible liquid phases. The ASO fraction in the more-dense phase boils generally above the normal boiling point of sulfolane, allowing the sulfolane to be recovered as the overhead stream from a distillation tower. The less-dense phase, on the other hand is enriched in ASO and may be treated further to remove sulfolane and/or for disposal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified schematic diagram showing initial processing steps in the method of the invention.

FIG. 2A shows the infrared (IR) spectrum of the conjunct polymer from the lower-density phase withdrawn from the gravitation separation step of the invention.

FIG. 2B shows the IR spectrum of the higher density phase withdrawn from the gravitational separation step of the invention.

FIG. 2C shows the IR spectrum of sulfolane extracted from the higher density phase withdrawn from the gravitational step of the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a simulated distillation comparing the boiling ranges of components in the conjunct polymeric byproducts (also referred to herein as acid soluble oil or ASO) from the lower density phase of the gravitational separation step with the ASO from the higher density phase of the gravitational separation step of the invention.

EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a slipstream of spent alkylation catalyst 10 flows from an operating HF/sulfolane catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process unit (not shown) and enters distillation/stripping tower 20. Stripping gas, for example, isobutane, enters distillation/stripping tower 20 through line 12, carries stripped HF upwardly through the tower, and exits the distillation/stripping tower 20 via overhead line 14. The HF-enriched isobutane may optionally be fractionated again, but is preferably charged directly back to the isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process unit (not shown). The distillation/stripping tower bottoms product is charged through line 16 at tower temperature of about 300° F. and flows to cooler 30. The bottoms product, cooled to about 70° F., flows through line 18 and enters gravitational separator 40 at approximately atmospheric pressure.

Two liquid phases form within gravitational separator 40. The upper, less dense phase, enriched in ASO, collects near the top 42 of gravitational separator 40, and is withdrawn through line 46 for further processing, as described below. Solids and the most dense residual hydrocarbons collect in a bottom boot 44, and are similarly withdrawn for further processing through line 48. The lower, more dense liquid phase, enriched in sulfolane, flows out of gravitational separator 40 through line 47 and enters a lower middle section of vacuum distillation column 50, which operates at a feed tray temperature of about 300° F. and the maximum available vacuum. The sulfolane and ASO readily separate in vacuum distillation column 50, with the sulfolane flowing overhead through line 52 and the ASO leaving the column through line 54.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE

A mixture of hydrofluoric acid, sulfolane, and conjunct polymeric byproducts (which conjunct polymeric byproducts are evolved from the catalytic alkylation of isobutane with butene, referred to hereinafter as acid soluble oil or ASO) containing about 65 weight percent hydrofluoric acid, 30 weight percent sulfolane and about 5 weight percent ASO, is charged to a decantation vessel at ambient temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the mixture in the liquid phase. The mixture is allowed to stand for approximately 24 hours. No phase separation is observed.

EXAMPLE 1

A mixture of hydrofluoric acid, sulfolane, and ASO (having the same composition as the mixture of the Comparative Example, above) is charged to a stripping tower having three theoretical stages. Isobutane is introduced into the tower at a level below the height of the liquid (HF/sulfolane/ASO) charge point, and the isobutane and mixture charge rates are controlled to maximize stripping of HF while operating below the flooding point of the tower. A stripped liquid is withdrawn from the bottom of the tower and a HF-enriched isobutane stream is withdrawn from the top of the tower. The stripped liquid contains less than about 30 percent by weight of hydrofluoric acid.

The stripped liquid is then charged to a decantation vessel and allowed to stand for approximately 24 hours. The mixture separates into two distinct phases, an upper, less dense ASO-enriched phase, and a lower, more dense, sulfolane-enriched phase.

EXAMPLES 2-4

Additional samples of the mixture of hydrofluoric acid, sulfolane, and ASO (having the same composition as the mixture of the Comparative Example) are stripped with isobutane to hydrofluoric acid contents of 25 weight percent, 10 weight percent, and 5 weight percent, respectively. The stripped mixtures containing lower concentrations of hydrofluoric acid separate more readily than mixtures having higher HF concentrations.

EXAMPLE 5

The HF/sulfolane sample of Example 5 has the following composition:

HF 62 wt. %,

Sulfolane 27 wt. %,

Isobutane 4 wt. %,

Water 1-2 wt. %,

ASO 3 wt. %,

Balance to 100% other hydrocarbons.

This mixture is a single liquid phase at 90° F. and 120 psig.

The sample is brought to atmospheric pressure and room temperature and most of the light hydrocarbons and part of the HF are vented off. Under these conditions, the sample is a single liquid phase containing about 50 wt. % HF.

Nitrogen is then bubbled through the mixture at room temperature and atmospheric pressure to strip HF off the mixture. As the mixture is depleted in HF, the mixture separates into two phases.

Both phases are analyzed, and the dense phase (specific gravity about 1.26) contains 83.2 wt. % sulfolane, 2.2 wt. % ASO, and the balance water, salts, and a sludge. The lighter phase, having a density of less than about 1, contains 82.8 wt. % ASO, 13.3 wt. % sulfolane, and the balance of salts.

FIG. 2 shows the IR spectra of ASO from the lighter phase (the upper spectrum), ASO from the heavier phase (the middle spectrum) and sulfolane (the lower spectrum).

FIG. 3 shows simulated distillations of ASO fractions from the low density phase and the high density phase from the gravitational separation step. The initial boiling point and the endpoint for the low density phase are both different from the corresponding points for the high density phase. Thus the gravitational separation splits the ASO into two fractions having different, albeit overlapping, boiling ranges.

EXAMPLE 6

The sulfolane-enriched dense phase of Example 5 is charged to a vacuum distillation column under the maximum available vacuum. The column bottom temperature is about 300° F. The overhead stream withdrawn from the distillation column is highly enriched in sulfolane while the bottoms product predominantly contains the higher boiling ASO fraction contained in the more-dense phase of Example 5.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for separating conjunct polymers which are formed as byproducts of acid catalyzed isoparaffin-olefin alkylation and sulfolane from a mixture containing conjunct polymers, sulfolane, and hydrofluoric acid comprising the sequential steps of:(a) separating hydrofluoric acid from said mixture to provide an intermediate stream containing less than about 30 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight; (b) gravitationally separating said intermediate stream into a more dense sulfolane-enriched stream and a less dense conjunct polymer-enriched stream; (c) distilling said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) to provide an overhead stream containing a higher sulfolane concentration than said more dense sulfolane-enriched stream of step (b) and a bottom stream enriched in conjunct polymers.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the distillation conditions of step (c) include at least partial vacuum.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said conjunct polymers are formed as a byproduct in an isoparaffin-olefin alkylation process catalyzed by a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and sulfolane.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said hydrofluoric acid is separated from said mixture by stripping.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said stripping fluid comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of normal paraffins and isoparaffins.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein said stripping fluid comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of isobutane and normal butane.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein said stripping fluid comprises an alkylated product formed by reacting an isoparaffin with an olefin.
 8. The method of claim 4 wherein said stripping step comprises sequentially stripping said mixture with isoparaffin and then stripping said mixture with nitrogen.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein said hydrofluoric acid separation step provides an intermediate stream containing less than about 25 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said hydrofluoric acid separation step provides an intermediate stream containing less than about 10 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said hydrofluoric acid separation step provides an intermediate stream containing less than about 5 percent hydrofluoric acid by weight. 